LOCKER ROOM TALK: Sports Mania

This past week was filled with a cascade of emotions for many sports fans. March Madness is coming to an end as the Final Four round is about to commence. Major League Baseball opening weekend filled outdoor stadiums across the country. We are also getting even close to the end of the NHL season with playoffs creeping up on us very quickly. Let's just do a quick recap on my takeaways from each of these.

I look forward to making my bracket for March Madness every year. Now, I am not going to lie, I don't watch a lot of college basketball. I will occasionally go to home games for my school, but they have had a rough couple of years, so I haven't really got into it in a while. I really try not to base my bracket off of the top team, I am a big fan of the upset and underdogs coming out on top. When I don't follow the teams throughout the season, it's really anyone's guess to how my bracket turns out. I never expect my bracket to make it very far or win, however having something on the line for myself definitely makes me care a whole lot more. And how I have loved watching these teams go head-to-head. This tournament has been full of close games and last-minute plays to move teams to the next round. I think anyone would agree that a good game with multiple lead changes is way more enjoyable than a complete sweep. So, for our basketball spotlight this week I have to shoutout the Duke and UConn game because what the heck was that.

Baseball is a fun one because I really do love to watch the game. When I am in person that is. I could probably watch on TV, but for me, baseball is a lot about the environment and atmosphere when attending a game. This weekend has people putting hopes in their team again and saying it will be their year. Loving that player that made you so upset last season because they are looking better already. It's being right there during the ninth inning and knowing that your team has the skills to pull off the win but being on the edge of your seat hoping they actually do it. We all got a taste of it coming off of the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela's win over the United States. Welcome back to baseball season, maybe it will be the best one yet.  

Now back to our regularly scheduled hockey update. These last few weeks has been quite the entertainment. Some of our top teams have really been struggling as of late. We have had two teams clinch the playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. Both teams have had an interesting last couple of weeks. This week The New Jersey Devils brought down the Stars, at home, pulling off a 6-4 win. The Devils record and game after the Olympic break is something all fans wish they could have seen earlier. So far only the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks have been eliminated from playoff contention, unfortunate but not surprising, however many teams would need the perfect storm to make it to the postseason. San Jose has had a rough couple of games and are seemingly moving further from a playoff spot that they were in just a few weeks ago. However, a win last night might be moving them back in the right direction. The Buffalo Sabres have also held their top rank but until a shootout against the Kraken, struggled to pull-off a win this week. In my opinion, for most teams, anyone can claim a spot, and I think we will see a lot of changes still before the fight for the Stanley Cup begins. 

That's all for now.

From the heart of the huddle,

xo, B